The Northland FireWire

May 21 – Fire crews from across Minnesota and the nation have been battling three large wildland fires in the Arrowhead Region of the state. The Camp House Fire, which started May 11 in the Brimson area, has consumed 12,106 acres and destroyed over 140 structures. The Jenkins Creek Fire, which started May 12, burned 16,694 acres. The smallest of the wildland fires occurred on May 12 near Cotton along the Munger Shaw Road. This fire consumed 1,600 acres. All three fires required suppression efforts from the ground and air, along with evacuation orders from the St. Louis County Sheriff’s Department. County highways and roads around the Jenkins Creek and Camp House fires remain closed. The Fire Danger in the region remains in High to Extreme categories.

May 11 – The Virginia, Eveleth, Mountain Iron, and Hibbing fire departments were dispatched this morning to the Essentia Medical Center in Virginia. The initial response for the Virginia department was for a fire alarm on the 3rd floor of the building. Upon arrival, Virginia firefighters discovered light smoke and an odor on the 3rd floor, which resulted in a Mutual Aid Box Alarm bringing in crews from Eveleth, Mountain Iron and Hibbing. Firefighters searched all four floors and the basement of the hospital. Hospital operations continued as normal. No injuries were reported. The cause of the smoke and odor is believed to be an electrical problem.

May 9 – Thirteen people were displaced when the facade on an Eveleth apartment building collapsed. The incident was reported around 11:00 this morning at the Essling Apartments, located at the corner of Adams Avenue and Jones Street. No one was injured. The Eveleth, Fayal Township, Gilbert, Mountain Iron, Central Lakes, Clinton, and Biwabik Township fire departments were paged to the scene while the Eveleth and Biwabik ambulance services provided medical standby. Eveleth Police said those displaced by the collapse are receiving services from The Northland Chapter of the American Red Cross. A structural engineer will also be brought in to evaluate the condition of the building and determine why the facade fell down.

May 8 – Several fire departments from the Lake Vermilion area battled a cabin fire this afternoon in Greenwood Township. The Greenwood, Breitung Township, and Tower fire departments were paged to the 4500 block of Serentiy Point Road around 3:05. The cabin was engulfed in flames when firefighters arrived, with the blaze spreading into the nearby woods. Crews from the Lake Vermilion Fire Brigade, U.S. Forest Service and Minnesota DNR also responded while the Tower Ambulance Service provided medical standby. No injuries were reported. According to the St. Louis County Sheriff’s Department, the cabin fire resulted from a nearby campfire. The area is currently in the High Fire Danger category.

May 8 – Fire crews from Pike-Sandy-Britt, U.S. Forest Service, and Minnesota DNR were dispatched this afternoon to a pick-up truck fire which spread into a wildland fire along U.S. Highway 53, about 15 miles north of Virginia. The fire was reported around 3:30 just off of the northbound lane. The pick-up was a total loss and less than an acre of land appeared to have been burned. No injuries were reported. The Minnesota State Patrol provided traffic control. The cause of the pickup truck fire is under investigation.

May 8 – Fire destroyed a United Parcel Service (UPS) truck in downtown Tower late this afternoon. The fire was reported around 5:30 in the 300 block of Main Street, next to Zup’s Supermarket. A nearby SUV was also damaged. No injuries were reported. Firefighters from Tower, Breitung Township, Cook, Vermilion Lake Township and Eagles Nest Township responded while the Ely Ambulance Service provided medical standby at the scene. Traffic control came the from Breitung Police Department and the St. Louis County Sheriff’s Department. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

May 4 – Two people were hospitalized this afternoon, the result of a grass fire which spread to a trailer home in Biwabik Township. The Biwabik Township, Biwabik, Lakeland, and Fayal Township fire departments were initially dispatched around 4:50 to a report that a grass fire was spreading to underneath the trailer, located in the Lakeland Trailer Home Park on St. Louis County Highway 4. The Aurora, Palo, and Gilbert departments were called in for additional assistance. The Biwabik Ambulance Service transported two people to the Aurora hospital for treatment as a result of smoke inhalation. It appeared that the trailer home had extensive damage as the fire had extended into the interior of the structure. Both the Biwabik and Hoyt Lakes ambulance services provided medical standby at the scene. The fire is being investigated by the St. Louis County Sheriff’s Department and the Minnesota State Fire Marshal’s Office.

May 2 – One person was injured, the result of a late night fire at the 7th Avenue Apartments in Hibbing. The Hibbing, Chisholm, Keewatin, and Virginia fire departments were dispatched around 11:10 to the apartment complex, located in the 3200 block of 7th Avenue East. Arriving Hibbing firefighters found smoke and flames coming from a second floor apartment. The crews initiated an exterior attack to knock down the flames, which allowed firefighters to then enter the apartment and rescue the lone woman occupant. The woman was taken by ambulance to the nearby Hibbing hospital and then airlifted to the Hennepin County Medical Center for further treatment. One apartment was extensively damaged while two others had smoke and water damage. The cause of the fire is being investigated by the Hibbing Fire Marshal’s Office and the Minnesota State Fire Marshal’s Office. The Chisholm, Virginia, and Eveleth ambulance services provided medical standby.

May 4 – A barn was extensively damaged and several acres of land were consumed, the result of a wildland fire this afternoon in Cherry Township. Firefighters from Cherry, Clinton, Kinney-Great Scott, Mountain Iron, and the Minnesota DNR were dispatched shortly before 3:00 p.m. to the fire on the Spirit Lake Road. No injuries were reported and the cause is under investigation.

April 24 – Fire departments from Virginia to Grand Rapids were dispatched this morning to a house fire in Hibbing. The fire was reported around 10:30 in the 3700 block of 5th Avenue East. One Hibbing firefighter was injured while fighting the blaze and was taken by Virginia Ambulance to the Hibbing hospital for treatment. No other information about the firefighter was available. The home received extensive damage. Fire departments on the scene included: Hibbing, Chisholm, Keewatin, Virginia, Nashwauk, Mountain Iron, and Grand Rapids. The Virginia and Chisholm Ambulance Services provided medical standby at the scene and were also available to cover EMS calls in the Hibbing area. The cause of the fire is under investigation.